Ffestiniog Early Brake Van

As part of my 16 mm scale testing programme I also bought an I P Engineering laser cut Ffestiniog early brake van. Totally irrelevant in a large scale 1:19 Nystrup Gravel scene, but a wagon with lots of character and charm. Perhaps it would even qualify as 'cute'. Having seen it at Boston Lodge on my recent visit to the Ffestiniog Railway, I couldn't help buying a kit. I shopped at I P Engineerings own website and found the packet on my door step a week and a half later.

The I P Engineering kit built, but still unpainted. Not my model, but an image from I P Engineering's website.

The majority of the parts are from laser cut wood. The wood is nicely cut and only minute tabs keep the parts attached to the surrounding fret. Metal wheels and brass bearings are included as well as a few white metal castings that make up detail parts like buffers, iron strapping and door handles. Decals are included in the kit.

The complete kit laid out on the garden table.

The kit is designed for the frames including wheelsets to be permanently glued to the body. That is not a design that appeals to me. I like my models to have the running gear and the body as separate parts. In 1:35 scale that has helped when servicing the models, doing repairs or replacing broken parts. I assume that approach will also prove helpful in 16 mm scale. Very little work produced an easy to disassemble model.

Added wooden stop to enable the body to rest on the frames.

I made a hole for a bolt to enable the frames to be separated from the body. In the other end the buffer assembly keeps the frames firmly in place. Here the wheels' running surfaces have been masked off in preparation for priming.

Current status on the brake van. Size comparison with an in-progress Hudson skip.